Double Meanings
by SS-HPFC
Summary: Neville and Luna share a rather interesting conversation about the relationship between a professor and one of their friends. Apparently, there are needs that Professor Lupin has that Harry Potter just cannot fulfil. For Sarah3Noelle


She knew his secret; she was sure of it. Luna Lovegood had read almost every book on magical beings, fiction or otherwise, and was quite certain that she knew exactly what Professor Remus Lupin was hiding. She noted his curiously close relationship with Harry as she walked through the corridors, her blue eyes following her friend as he entered Professor Lupin's classroom for what seemed to the dozenth time that week. And although Harry was brilliant at Defense Against The Dark Arts, Luna highly doubted that the professor was really _that_ interested in the boy's talent in the subject.

"Neville," she started, her hand wrapping around the boy's arm in the most platonic way she could manage while practically becoming one with him. "Harry's been acting a bit oddly lately, don't you think?"

Neville practically split a gut. Since when was the Boy-Who-Lived _not_ acting oddly? He had every right, in Neville's opinion. After all, being number one on You-Know-Who's hit list had to be pretty strenuous. Covering up his laughter with a forced cough, he looked sideways at her with a shake of his head.

"He's always with Professor Lupin," Luna continued. "I do wonder what's going on between them."

"Between them?"

By now, Neville's face had turned a peculiar shade of green and his mouth was hanging wide open.

Luna nodded, not seeming to notice his obvious discomfort. "You don't really think that Professor Lupin is so interested in Harry because of his talents, do you?"

Neville, being a typical thirteen-year-old boy who happened to be going through puberty, winced as his mind latched onto a certain double meaning and thousands of unwanted images flashed in front of him.

"Would you like to know what I think?"

_No_, Neville thought, _not really_. He shuddered, ridding his brain of disturbing thoughts and focusing solely on the girl latched to him. "S-sure."

"I've noticed that the two spend a lot of time together," Luna said. "Understandable. He went to school with Harry's parents, you know?"

"No I didn-"

"It's only natural that they're so close," she continued.

Neville shook his head. "They aren't _that_ close..."

The girl pursed her lips, reaching to gently finger the garlic necklace that hung around her neck. Despite Neville being awfully dense and apparently very narrow-minded, she was positive that she was right. After weeks of seeing Harry walk into that classroom in the most suspicious ways and a few days of flicking through past Quibblers, Luna was absolutely certain that she had come to the right conclusion.

"The emotional trauma the two have faced..." Luna trailed off, looking at Neville with sad eyes. "Looking for help - comfort - in each other... It's very understandable. You mustn't judge, Neville."

"I would never," he muttered, cowering under her intense gaze.

"You will help me, won't you, Neville?"

His head snapped up at this. "Wh-_what_?"

"To help Professor Lupin. After all, Harry won't be able to help him all the time."

_She wanted them to help Professor Lupin to_... Neville quickly dismissed the thought with a shudder, peering at her curiously. She didn't look put off by the idea. In fact, she looked rather excited. What normal twelve year old girl would be excited about helping their teacher to do _that_? And more importantly, where on earth did she get the notion that he would be willing to help with such a task?

"Luna..." He started hesitantly."What, exactly, do you want us help Professor Lupin with?"

She gazed up him, a pensive look on her face. "To help him get rid of the Wrackspurts, of course. What did you think we were going to help him with?"

Neville's mouth opened. And then it closed. And then it opened again. Of course.

Wrackspurts. How could he have thought differently?

"Y-yeah, I knew that. Just confirming and stuff," he muttered after a long silence.

"Of course you were," Luna said with a smile. "Thank you, Neville," she added as an afterthought.

Patting his arm gently, she untangled herself from his grip and sashayed down the corridor.

She would be the death of him, he was sure of it.


End file.
